Why have new Omicron strains of covid not been given Greek names?
What lies behind the World Health Organisation’s conservative approach
WHEN THE World Health Organisation (WHO) decided in May 2021 to use the Greek alphabet to name “variants of concern” of SARS-CoV-2, it did so for reasons of simplicity. The first was Alpha, the second Beta, and so on (though the WHO skipped Nu and Xi because of the potential for homophonic confusion). But since Omicron became the dominant variant of the virus, new strains have been given names such as BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.75. Why has none been given a Greek letter?
This article appeared in the The Economist explains section of the print edition under the headline “Why have new Omicron strains of covid not been given Greek names?”
From the July 23rd 2022 edition
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